


Danganronpa: Another Hope

by TheToonCrew



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Multi, They/Them Pronouns for Fujisaki Chihiro, dangan another end except the apocalypse doesn't happen, if I know myself theres gonna be angst in this one, its just them living out lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28662456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheToonCrew/pseuds/TheToonCrew
Summary: What was once a sheer white, blinding him - had become foggy and distant. Makoto stood with his 5 remaining friends, last time he remembered, preparing for a life of hope even in the supposed time of war. The light made it hard to think, hard to see, as it slowly faded into a deep dead black.He didn't know what to think as the next sight he saw was a wooden desk.(Danganronpa: Another End, if the apocalypse truly wasn't going on outside.)
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Kuwata Leon/Maizono Sayaka, Yamada Hifumi & Celestia Ludenberg
Kudos: 39





	1. another hope

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO! before I get into this officially I want to say something to all the people that may not know what "Another End" is. Another End was supposed to be a secret ending of Danganronpa that got scrapped, where everybody had to give up their ultimates\SHSLs in order to live outside, unharmed. The apocalypse was going on outside, though and my brain was like hmmm....nah & decided to change it so that they could just live outside normally. Hope you guys like it! I'll try not to focus too hard on my favorites lmao

What was once a sheer white, blinding him - had become foggy and distant. Makoto stood with his 5 remaining friends, last time he remembered, preparing for a life of hope even in the supposed time of war. The light made it hard to think, hard to see, as it slowly faded into a deep dead black. With panic, he tried to move, he tried to do something, but he was stuck. He used his last remaining strength to push on, push forward...

Which instead ended with him jolting up from his seat, and backwards onto a cold marble floor. It took him a second to process what had just gone on. He looked up at the ceiling, then noticed the wooden-metal desk behind him - Wait, what? A desk? He slowly rolled off of his chair and looked around. There he was. Just like at the beginning of it all, he had woken up in a classroom. The very same one, with the teacher’s podium and desk in front, the chalkboard behind them, and the windows, as always, bol -

The windows weren’t bolted in. They were free, showing the clear light of an early morning. He stumbled into a run as he hurriedly pressed himself up against the window. It was the outside of a school, the school he was in, and for a second he almost wanted to break the window with a chair to check if it was truly real, if he was truly free. 

The noise that Makoto’s hands made upon hitting the window must’ve alerted someone outside, because someone had stopped in their tracks outside to peer into the classroom. Naegi turned around, slowly, scared to know who it might be. There, right there, stood Aoi Asahina, with a face of pure shock.

“Makoto!” She yelled, running past all of the desks, not caring if she had the chance to trip or topple the desks over. Trapping him in a bone-crushing hug, he could hear her shaky hiccup. “Makoto, We’re safe! We’re alive --! This - must be the outside, right? We can go home now?” At those words, he had distantly checked off that whatever happened to them wasn’t just a strange dream Makoto had while dozing off in class. He really, truly, had seen most of his friends die. He didn't know if it was a bubbling feeling of anger, or a lump of trauma in his stomach slowly wanting to crawl out through his neck, but the emotion he felt was much more stronger than he could handle. He almost wanted to cry. 

Just as he was about to respond to Asahina, the intercom crackled above them.

“Dear students!” The lucky student cringed at the voice. Monokuma. He remembered the high-pitched, annoying voice of the bear all too well. He knew he would never resort to violence - but he distantly wondered if now was the chance to truly be able to lunge at the bear. That wasn’t much on his mind, though. “All of you report to the Gym, immediately! Trust me...this time, you don’t want to disobey me. Upupu~! Goodbye!” Aoi looked up as the staticky voice ended as soon as it started. Makoto sighed and gazed back outside, worried -- What if Monokuma would trap them again? What if it would all turn out to be nothing?...He couldn’t think about it, he couldn’t handle it again. Surely he would’ve been more careful to trap them in for real, this time. The thought still lingered heavily on his mind as Aoi practically tugged him along with her arm, begging him to move along and just get it over with.

He kept thinking, a sour taste in his mouth. Hagakure was next to join them, tears spilling from his eyes as he blessed the Gods of many differing religions that they were okay. Byakuya didn’t say a single word as he sped-walk past, but the lucky student had saw a singular glimpse of relief when they made the smallest of eye contact. Kyoko had surprised him from behind by putting a gloved hand on his shoulder, asking if he were alright with just the slightest hint of fear making her voice quiver. He nodded, despite the feeling of his stomach being wrung out, and continued down the corridor into the sector where the gym lied. He sighed, and with what small confidence he had left, pushed opened the door that opened into the gym...

To hear the sounds of wailing. He opened his eyes to see two men in the middle of the room, sobbing, grasping tightly onto each other as they practically fell apart. One had raven-black hair, cut almost military-style short, with a - now wrinkled - white blazer adorned with a singular medal and shoulder pad. The other had black hair sans for the bleached blonde front, styled into a pompadour and... that’s where Makoto stopped. These weren’t just two random people, those were his friends - Kiyotaka and Mondo. There they were, alive, hugging each other as if they weren’t going to ever, ever separate,

Alive, tears spilling onto their shirts and the floor,

Alive, alive, alive.

It wasn’t just them. Chihiro Fujisaki was alive, currently looking as if they’re sobbing alongside the two, not pulled into the hug but still had a noticeably wet shirt from someone previously marking it with salty tears. Leon Kuwata was alive, off in the corner, looking at Sayaka Maizono - who was alive, as well, - trying to find a good way to apologize for killing her as his face was stained a blotchy red. Sakura Ogami was alive, not shedding a tear, but holding an Aoi Asahina who was currently blubbering into her about absolute nonsense. Celeste was alive, not crying, though surprised at everybody just like Makoto was. Hifumi, Toko, Hagakure, Byakuya, Kyoko -- Makoto. They were all alive. Without many noticing, Monokuma popped up and slammed himself down on the desk. It took him to create a distinct "Ahem!", to start making people listen.  
“I see you have all found the gym,” Monokuma started. Mondo took none of it, though, and practically yelled at him to shut up the moment he opened his mouth. If it weren’t for the sobbing Kiyotaka that had an iron grip on his clothes and a Chihiro cowering away in fear, Makoto swore that Monokuma would be nothing but a pile of circuits in seconds. The bear cleared his throat, glaring angrily at the biker before continuing. “I’m gonna be straightforward with all of you. I’m bored! It’s all the same with you! Over and over, the same thing happened! I would’ve never gotten any more despair rung out of you if I had twisted you all with my own two paws! So I’m letting you leave!”

The room fell silent, confused by what he meant. It was all the same-? It only happened once...right? Either way, Makoto decided to brush it off to look at what was in the bear’s hand. It red “EMERGENCY ESCAPE” in big, red font, with an equally red button in the center. Chihiro piped up for everybody else.

“Y-You’re really gonna...let us go? You’re n-n-not tricking us, right?” Their voice strained with tears. Monokuma nodded.

“I promise! You’re gonna go to the outside world and everything’s gonna be juuust peachy! I’m letting you have the ‘True Ending’, as they say!” Monokuma then paused. “On one condition.”

Everybody froze up, some ready to start crying again, some mentally agreeing with one another that if   
_  
any more of this twisted killing game happens,   
_  
then they’re going to beat that worthless machinery into a black and white paste. Monokuma laughed.

“Oh, your despair is delightful! But this isn’t any game. If you really wanna leave, then you gotta give up allll that precious hope of yours! Or else the button’s gonna do nuthin’!” Another loud laugh came from the mechanical bear. He threw the remote, carelessly, Hagakure just barely managing to catch it before it hit the ground.

“Uh...What do you mean, by giving up our ‘hope’? We gotta be all depressed or whatever?” The clairvoyant scratched the back of his hair while the headmaster in front of him gave an annoyed sigh.

“I shouldn’t even tell YOU this, seeing how you’re so hopeless already.” He ignored Hagakure’s exclamation of anger and continued. “You all gotta give up what gives you the most hope…! Your ultimates.” The room filled with chatter immediately.

“You’re saying that...if we give up our Ultimate paths,” Ishimaru spoke, his voice still strained and choked from his previous breakdown. “We get to leave? Is that it?”

“Yeppers! Bingo! Right on the money!” Another annoying laugh. “I don't got anythin' else to say. Well, Toodles~! Don't kill yaselves out 'ere!"

And with that, he was gone, leaving the 14 students to talk with each other. Makoto could hear multiple conversations. Byakuya had said to himself something about being too perfect to lose hope, even if he were to give up his heir, with Celeste making a passive-aggressive jab back at him. Maizono and Kirigiri agreed to not lose their happiness in the midst of losing their ultimates. Even Toko joined in, albeit scared. Hagakure managed to shut everybody up when he asked the question, the final question to seal it all away;  
“So, uh...Should we get goin’? I mean, the entire world’s gonna be out there…”

Everybody didn’t want to answer. Makoto himself stepped up. “Yeah. We should get going. Stalling isn’t going to do anything to help us.” The class took a moment, but all individually agreed as they all silently filtered into the entrance hall. Hagakure tapped Makoto on the shoulder and handed him the remote. “...Me?” Was all the lucky student could reply.

“Uh, yeah, dude!” Yasuhiro gave his signature blinding smile. “You, like, helped us a lot with...well, everything! You deserve t’be the one that sets us free, y’know!” One after another, people nodded and agreed.

“Y-Y-You may b-be..the stupidest person...o-on Earth...” Toko buried her face into her hands. “B-But...I-I have to agree…”

“I may not have..known you for long, M-Makoto…” The ex-programmer smiled as tears pricked the corner of their eyes. “But...If anybody would be able to set us free...It’s you…!”

Everybody started joining in, giving Makoto their personal agreements, and it almost made him cry to know that he was truly the one that they all thought would help them get through the end. He stifled his tears down and nodded. “Then..well...should we...finally go?”

Sakura put a large hand on his shoulder. “What you are holding in your hand, Makoto...is the key to our hopeful future. Let us all get out of here, for good.”

With a breath in, he let his trembling finger pause before pressing the red button on the remote. The entrance hall gates rumbled, as sirens went off and the monitors connected with guns had slowly screeched up into the ceiling. His world was filled with a blinding light, but this time, there was no fade away. He felt the warmth of a clear sun shine onto his skin, and the bright white pierced their way into his eyelids. This was no simulation anymore, this was no joke. Makoto, and his friends, were all going to be truly free and happy. He opened his eyes, adjusting them, to peer at a clear sky, a clear world.

A clear future.

A clear hope.


	2. Makoto Naegi

_**MAKOTO NAEGI.** _   
_ultimate hope._

The bright outside had opened up to him. The school grounds were completely open. He saw all of his friends react differently. Some of them had immediately ran outside, sending their thank-yous to whatever was up there in the sky. Some of them had stood there in the entrance hall, frozen, almost denying it was real. One factor was for certain; A lot of the crying had started back up. Sakura, who had been able to keep it together throughout all of this mess, had seemed to finally crack as she touched the blacktop and had her own realization that it wasn’t another trap. The couple of emotional ones - people such as Aoi, Hiro, Taka and the like - had all broken down sobbing, and their already blotchy-from-tears faces had become fresh with water pouring down their eyes. Makoto took a quick peek at Togami, right next to him with his feet almost stuck to the ground, and saw an expression that he never recognized. It wasn’t stoic, it wasn’t overly dramatic, it was...genuine. As cheesy as it might’ve sounded, he had never seen Togami this entire time feeling a completely normal emotion. Toko had started crying, too, but hid it away with her hands and took shelter in the corner. Chihiro was wailing, and Mondo almost reached out to comfort them, but decided against it. He would kill Naegi if he were to point it out, but the gang leader's makeup seemed to be running.   
“So...this is really it, huh?” The sound of Kyoko’s voice made Makoto jump. He turned around to nod at her. 

“Yeah...We’re really free. It’s kinda insane to me, still.” The brunet beamed a smile. “But it’s not like I’m complaining.” He cautiously peered back at the school, choosing his words carefully just in case Monokuma decides to listen in and take them for another spin. His eyes fell on the class he grew to know so much, seeing them all interact and sob over the simple pavement on the ground was enough to make his face buzz with the sensation of tears. He was supposed to abandon his ultimate hope title, he knew - but it was hard when he could finally have the realization that not only him - but his friends, alive, were free too.

Kirigiri noticed his tears and huffed out a smile. “It must be hard giving the title of ‘Ultimate Hope’ with someone like you.” Quietly, she took her hand off his shoulder and looked at the clear blue sky. “...Though I suppose you deserve to keep it. You have really helped us all this time, Makoto.” The brunet let out a bashful giggle at that and stared down at his shoes.

“...But,” He started, the smile on his face fading as his happiness is overcome by curiosity. “What am I gonna do now? It’s not like I had much of a...life, before this.” The former Lucky Student scratched the back of his head. “I was just some...average person, before this whole thing started. I didn’t really expect to have anything other than an office job.” A sigh fell from his lips as he noticed the former detective next to him join in gazing at the ground. Before she had a chance to respond, Byakuya had spoken up and cut both of their trains of thought off.

“Naegi.” If it weren’t for the softened tone barely noticeable in his voice, Makoto thought he was in trouble. “...I’m sure those friends of yours have something planned to help you achieve a better future. Don’t underestimate them.” The blond ex-heir turned to look at him. “For someone like you to end up in some dead-end job like that would be a waste.”

Makoto gazed back at him. “...I guess you’re right. I would ask if a job at your company would work, haha, but --” He tilted his head. “I guess you aren’t an heir anymore? What are you going to do now?”

“Ah. About that.” Byakuya crossed his arms. “I’ve always wanted to travel. With the remaining money I’ll have, I’m going to take a world trip. I haven’t been near any cities that aren’t major landmarks, so I want to know what it’s like.” Next to him, the brunet nodded slightly. He found the subtle and unintentional boast a little amusing. But he digressed - It would be a bit sad to not be able to see Togami, especially after all they’ve been through together...but he wouldn’t stop him from doing what he wants.

“Can we keep in touch somehow?” The former heir stared right through Makoto’s question. A nice, long pause between them was almost enough to confirm the answer, but then Byakuya piped up again.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

With a nod, Naegi gazed off at the blacktop most of their friends still sat. Most had paired off into their own groups, some calming down and some still tearing up and shaking like a leaf in the wind. Makoto smiled as he left the entrance that he still stood in and completely emerged himself in the bright afternoon sun. _It was going to be okay,_ he could finally tell himself after what felt like months of horrible, horrible pain. He could stop aching now, he could stop burdening himself with the trauma of his friends dying. Tears dropped down onto the asphalt, fresh ones - and he realized he was crying, too. But just like all of his friends, it wasn’t with sadness, nor fear. He was happy, he was overjoyed - _He was free._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *doesn't update for almost 20 days* oh hey lol!!!!!
> 
> I'm sorry for such a big gap in between uploads I promise you I have more written that I'm gonna post more frequently!!!! It's hard to do these things in order and that's what I have planned so <:/ 
> 
> These chapters will contain the names of the character(s) in focus (e.g. Makoto Naegi) up until the last student, and then from there the name will probably be in parenthesis. Next chapter's gonna focus on Leon & Sayaka! Stay tuned

**Author's Note:**

> Not everybody has decided their fate, so there's a mixture of "canon" and my personal interpretation.
> 
> Makoto Naegi - Normal new life as of current (didn't have an SHSL besides "ultimate hope" so)  
> Leon - Singer  
> Sayaka - Helping Leon, wants to get into Archery  
> Taka - Farmer  
> Mondo - Carpenter  
> Chihiro - Muscle builder, having Mondo help them  
> Hagakure - Safe to say neither of us know what he's doing. Couch surfing  
> Celeste - Clothes-maker  
> Hifumi - Thief. His words not mine  
> Byakuya - Travelling the world  
> Toko - Travelling the world (With Byakuya)  
> Aoi - Working at a Donut Store  
> Sakura - Living with Aoi, trying to figure herself out  
> Kyoko - dunno........ :/  
> Mukuro - Hairdresser out of town (the reason we don't see her in here is because she already made it out on her own)  
> Junko - Hostess of Sleepovers and other events


End file.
